Information pluralism and media ownership concentration: The case of El Comercio, Peru

Alarcón G.; Cardenas J. · Comunicacion y Medios (2025) · DOI: 10.5354/0719-1529.2025.76509

Resumen

This paper addresses the controversy between pluralism as a dimension of freedom of expression and the concentration of ownership of the print media, based on the appeal for protection filed by journalists to declare null and void the acquisition of the companies Empresa Periodística Nacional S.A. and Alfa Beta Sistemas S.A.C. by the El Comercio Group (Peru). Through an analysis of the judgments issued, the importance of informational pluralism in legal argumentation can be seen, whether from a broad reading in the first instance or a more restricted one in the second. In turn, the formal, material, and pragmatic reasoning framework proposed by Atienza (2013) helps to identify which dimension has been most developed by the judges in both instances. This case has helped to highlight the public debate surrounding the role of the democratic state, citizenship, and powerful groups in the market, not only in Peru but throughout Latin America.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo; Universidad Señor de Sipán